Secret Emotion
by BeneathTheVeil
Summary: As Jerry and Elaine live their lives, new and old emotions surface...
1. Introduction

This is my first time posting here on the site, and also my first attempt at any fan fiction story Seinfeld related. I want to say that I, of course, do not own any of these characters. I simply have my fantasies about them. 

I wrote this story in paragraph format, not as a script, because it is not meant to be a Seinfeld episode. I simply used the characters from the show to create a story that they might have lived at some point.

Also, I have to say that this is, indeed, a romance story. Please do not be misled thinking that it is a usual Seinfeld script, because it is not. I have always been a Jerry/ Elaine shipper, though they never did get back together on romantic terms in the series.

I hope you enjoy my story, "Secret Emotion…"

INTRODUCTION

Looking at him, she simply could not understand how she could have let him go. Trying to fight back the tears that so seldom came, Elaine Benes turned her head and reached for a cereal box, secretly wiping her face on her sleeve on the way. Across the room sat Jerry Seinfeld, not even giving her a second glance and engrossed in some sort of entertainment magazine. She'd known him for ten years, they'd been through thick and thin together, and now she was feeling those same feelings that she felt for him all those years ago. Damn him and his charms. She thought she could fight it, but all at once, to her dismay, she was falling for him yet again. You'd think that eight years of being "just friends" would have solved that problem, but Elaine simply could not get the memories of their days together out of her head. It was no mystery to her why she was spending restless nights tossing and turning. She didn't know what to do about it.

"Lainey? You coming or what?"

His voice startled her and she jumped slightly, planting one of those fake smiles on her face and turning to him, nodding. She threw the cereal box on the counter and strolled back over to the sofa, trying to appear as natural as humanly possible.

"What are we watching?" She asked reluctantly, peering at the TV screen ahead. Leave it to Jerry Seinfeld to put on exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong moment. She cringed inside at the sight of the apparent love story unfolding on Jerry's TV.

"Eh, I dunno. Some chick flick, I guess…You like those, don't you?"

Elaine dared herself to look up into his eyes. He wasn't usually this thoughtful. Actually, he never was this thoughtful, to put on what _she_ wanted, but that really didn't matter to her. There was just something about him that she wanted, needed in her life. And she did have him in her life, but she knew inside that she wanted him in a different way. All the casual chatter and bickering, joking even, between them about their past relationship over the years was just a cover, wasn't it?

"Elaine? Where are you tonight?"

His voice once again startled her. Elaine shook her head and grinned up at him.

"I don't know…Someplace else. Just ignore me if I do that. Zone out, I mean…" _Oh, his eyes…Stop it, Elaine! Stop thinking about him like that! He has a girlfriend, doesn't he?_

"What's on your mind, then?" Jerry asked, scooting over on the couch and putting an arm around her. Where the hell was this coming from? Jerry Seinfeld actually _caring _about someone else's problems?

"Uh…oh…Nothing…Just forget it." Elaine unconsciously tucked her body into his more closely, struggling for words at the exact same moment. It was totally unlike her to be at a loss for words. Her snappy retorts were a signature of her personality.

"How can I forget it when you're jittery as hell and won't look me in the eye?" He just wouldn't give up, would he? She forced herself to peer into his eyes, temporarily lost in them. She was really transfixed by those eyes. The rough scratch of his shirt on her bare shoulder caused her to jump, but before she could even move away, he was there, strong hands down on her shoulders, tranquil eyes bearing into her own.

"Elaine…What has gotten into you?"

She sighed and leaned back against the sofa, searching for something to say, some excuse to throw at him.

"Tell me the truth…because you're acting pretty weird."

Elaine shook her head and took a deep breath, rolling her eyes at the same time. He still hadn't let up his stare.

"Jerry, I think I need to say something…"

_Clunk._

Jerry and Elaine's heads shot up. "What the heck was that?" Elaine asked hesitantly.

"Ah, I think I know…" Jerry got up from the couch and went to the door, slowly unlocking it. Once the lock was off, the door opened violently, knocking Jerry forcefully onto his back. "What the…?"

"Man, why do you have to lock the door!" Kramer burst out. "Oh, hey Elaine," he added heartily. Turning his attention back to Jerry, he continued. "What's with that? It just makes everything so overly complicated." He threw his hands in the air and plopped down next to Elaine on the couch. "And…I hit my head! Gosh, Jerry, I thought we had a thing there, ya know?"

Elaine sighed, glancing over at Jerry and his perfect hair, perfect shirt, and perfectly white sneakers. He was still sprawled out on the floor from Kramer's surprise entrance. And yet, he still had that charm about him. Leave it to Kramer to ruin her moment of truth.


	2. Chapter One

ONE

The sounds of New York brushed by the open window as Elaine lay awake in the dead of the night. The last month had been like this. In fact, she thought she was losing some serious rest over this. But really, what was she supposed to do? Kramer ruined it the first time she was going to say something to Jerry. It was going to be impossible. They had spent so long trying to just remain friends.

She rolled over onto her side, staring out the window at the lights flashing past. Nothing special was going on in her life. It was pathetic really…just work, work, work. She hadn't had a boyfriend in months. That was a first for her. She didn't know what to do. Rolling back onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling and closed her eyes, begging for sleep to come.

…………………………

"I love these black straws," George Costanza part said, part sang as he leaned contently back in the booth. The sounds of Monk's coffee shop buzzed in the background as Jerry, George, and Kramer all sat chatting away at their usual booth near the door.

"What's to love about them, anyway?" Jerry asked. "I don't really like them, to tell you the truth. They create this empty void of…blackness."

"'Blackness?'" George countered. "Don't fight with me on this one, okay? These are the classy straws…only the classy people drink from these."

"Well that doesn't explain why you're drinking from one. Here we go…George is having an identity crisis again."

"Hey Jerry, wasn't Elaine supposed to be here?" Kramer asked across the booth, sipping at his black coffee and placing his newspaper aside. "I hope she isn't upset about last night."

"Upset?" Jerry questioned. "Why would she be upset? I was the one knocked flat on the floor with no warning whatsoever. Ya know, you usually do give a warning when you're gonna knock me down somehow."

"Mmm…well, she just seemed upset. Don't know about what." He looked down at his paper, enthralled in some kind of article. "You know, I just know these things. I can," he clicked his tongue against his cheek, "read people, yeah?"

"She _was _acting funny last night," Jerry said. Stretching out on his side of the table, he yawned. "Don't know why though. I think she was going to tell me something right before this one," he gestured nonchalantly to Kramer, "barged in."

"Hey, I'm sorry, okay? I mean, you leave your door locked and I start to get nervous." He shook his head rapidly.

"Alright, whatever," Jerry said. "Ya think I should call her?" He gestured over to the payphone across the restaurant.

"Eh, if you want. I mean, it's just Elaine," George piped in.

"Yeah, you're right."

At that moment Elaine walked through the door and heard them talking. She stole away behind a plant and made sure that the boys couldn't see her.

"If it was some new girlfriend I'd call, or I don't know…my parents. No, not even my parents. She'll get here, it's just her."

_It's_ just_ me, huh? Damnit, Elaine…you're being way too sensitive here._ She strode towards the table and swallowed her emotions. "Hey boys," she said, announcing her presence to them.

"Oh, hey. We were just wondering where you were," George said, smiling up at her and taking a big sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, sorry I'm late," she answered, plopping down next to Jerry. She never realized how small these seats were. "Just got caught up in some traffic." Good excuse, especially in New York City, but it wasn't the truth. She actually was sleeping, having finally fallen asleep at something like 4 am. Those two hours she was afforded were all she really got and she slept right through the alarm's buzzing. And to think that all the trouble was most likely because of the man sitting next to her.

"I'm really thirsty…But I can't stay. Mr. Peterman's got me booked today with meetings. I've really got to go." She began getting up, glancing at George and Kramer across the way not really paying attention and hugged her coat around her.

"Hey…take this," Jerry said, offering his paper to-go cup of coffee.

"Oh, no, Jer…that's alright. I'll just get something at the office." But he wouldn't have it. Dropping the cup into her hands, he smiled and winked, going right back into conversation with the boys.

"Thanks," she murmured. What had gotten into him? As charming as the man might be, Jerry wasn't the most considerate. All of a sudden, he was being…a gentleman? Strange…

Gathering her long coat around her, she smiled silently at him and walked out the door and into the bustling streets of New York City.


	3. Chapter Two

TWO

"Whose idea was it anyway to take the subway?" Elaine asked frigidly. She stared down the three men standing next to her, trying to get some kind of positive feeling in her body.

"Kramer's," George and Jerry chorused together, both giving him pointed looks. It seemed that whenever they needed to get somewhere, the subway was always breaking down somehow. The flickering lights of the car flashed against Elaine's rigid face as she tried not to scream out loud.

Kramer had gotten tickets to see Cats, a show Elaine had been dying to see for years, and had been looking forward to it for months. George and Jerry were really just along for the ride, so the delay in transportation really didn't seem to be getting to them.

"Man, we're gonna miss the opening number," Kramer whined.

"Oh, darn…we don't get to make fun of the full-grown men in cat suits, Georgie!" Jerry said, feigning disappointment.

"Jerry, shut up," Elaine countered, leaning back roughly on the subway car's wall. "Do you know how hard it is to get these tickets? Do you know how long I've been waiting to see this show? And, damnit, do you know how much these high heels cut into your feet!"

"Hey…sorry," Jerry muttered, giving George a pointed look. "At least we have each other for company, right?"

The other three looked at him with raised eyebrows and laughed.

"Ungh!" Elaine groaned. "Why me?" She slid down the car's pole and plopped down on the floor.

"She is cute when she's mad, isn't she?" Jerry retorted. Elaine looked up at him and sighed, knowing that he was just joking around and wasn't, in fact, calling her pretty or beautiful. She missed those days. Or did he ever call her beautiful? Maybe not…

"No snide remark back? Wow…you must really be upset," George answered.

"Yeah…Sorry we're missing it, Lainey. I'll make it up to you," Jerry said in all seriousness.

_Oh, Jerry…I bet you could make it up to me, but I don't even know if you would._ Elaine thought to herself.

………………………….

An hour and twenty five minutes later, the subway car's lights stopped flickering and the car began pulling out again. Jerry and George sat on one seat, while Elaine and Kramer slumped against the other, obviously upset about missing the show.

"Hey, is it even possible to get tickets again, Kramer?" Jerry asked, glancing at Elaine's tired and clearly upset form.

"No, Jerry. This was a one-time thing. I got them from my friend down at the box office, but I think he quit the other day…something about the restroom being 'inadequate.'" Kramer shook his head and shrugged.

"Heh, sounds like George," Elaine said, staring at the filthy floor, showing only the hint of a smile. She didn't know if she was more disappointed about the show or about the lack of sleep she'd been getting, but she knew that she felt like hell.

"How about we just get off at the next stop and take a train back to my apartment. Or do you guys want to take a cab?" Jerry suggested.

"Cab," they all chimed in together. "I don't trust this subway anymore…do you know how many things I've missed by taking the subway?" Elaine said.

"Uh…a lesbian wedding? A baby shower, I believe?" Jerry answered, grinning at her. All he got back was the tired look of a seemingly tortured woman.

The car began to pull to a stop and the four filed out of the doors, heading up the exit steps and hailing a cab.

"Oh, I'm getting my own," George said. "I think I'll just head home. Not like I have anything to do…but I think I'll just go back. Want to come with me, Elaine?"

She glanced up at him wearily and shrugged. She had no where to go either. What else was new?

"Come back to the apartment, Elaine," Jerry answered. "We can have coffee and watch a movie or something."

"Oh, and I'm not invited?" George said snidely, throwing his hands palm up in the air in question.

"Were you the one who wanted to see the grown men in cat suits? Are you the one who I have to make it up to for not being able to see them? No…didn't think so," Jerry retorted. "But ah, whatever…you can come over if you want…I did invite you over in the first place, you know."

"No, I'll just go back home. I have to watch the movie I rented before it's due…those late dues are killer," George said as a taxi pulled to the curb. He waved a goodbye and climbed in, riding off into the night.

"I guess I'll come back with you," Elaine said to Jerry, glancing around and trying to find Kramer. But she didn't see him. "Where'd Kramer go?"

Jerry too began searching the street corner. He shrugged. "I dunno…I just hope he's wearing his collar so someone can help him find his way home. Come on…let's go."

……………………..

Back at Jerry's apartment, the two friends sat on the couch watching some low-budget TV movie, occasionally cracking jokes at the poor production or the lack of acting skills the characters possessed. By the time the credits began rolling down the screen, Elaine felt half better. Or maybe it was just from the five pounds she had just gained from the loads of popcorn they had eaten together. As Jerry watched the credits, she involuntarily began drifting in and out of sleep, leaning over into Jerry's body at the same time. She struggled to keep her eyes open as a commercial finally popped onto the TV.

"Elaine…"Jerry said, nudging her a bit as her head finally settled on his shoulder.

"Hmm? What?" She mumbled. Finally realizing where she was and who she was laying on, she slowly lifted her head and whispered, "Oh…sorry…"

"Why don't you just stay here tonight?" Jerry asked, his eyes locked on her own hazy ones. Did she just hear that correctly?

"I mean, you're so tired…I don't know if you're even going to be able to get home," he added, putting an arm around her shoulders and smiling.

"I…uh…I don't know, Jerry…" Oh God, this was exactly what she wanted. How could this possibly be happening? How could he possibly know? "I mean, where would I sleep?"

"In my bed," Jerry said. Then realizing exactly what he had just said, he quickly added, "And I can stay on the couch."

"You shouldn't have gotten rid of that other one. It had the pullout bed," she grinned. "Of course, I know how much you hate those."

He chuckled. "I think you hate them more than I do. They have those annoying bars that push into your back all night." Sobering up, he said, "But its okay. I'll sleep long ways."

"I don't want to intrude, Jer…"

"You? Intrude? Never, Lainey," he grinned, giving her a squeeze with the arm around her shoulders. Why was he being so…_thoughtful_ all of a sudden?

When Elaine yawned again and felt as if the last month's lack of sleep had finally caught up with her, she nodded and mumbled an 'okay.'

Jerry got up and offered her a hand. Slowly pulling herself up, Elaine's heart stopped when his arm snaked around her waist. Looking up at his face, she wondered what was changing his usual inconsiderate attitude towards everything. Could he actual be having the same feelings as-

No, that couldn't be. What she saw in his eyes was not love or lust. No, it was just friendship. Always friendship.

As she thanked him and wished him goodnight, she couldn't help but wonder if that would ever change. Maybe it couldn't change. Too many years and too much tine together as friends might have caused all other emotions to escape Jerry. And it wasn't like she even knew if he ever loved her. Maybe she would never know. There were too many 'maybes.' It had to be time soon for her to know how he felt. She had to know…

"Jerry…" She said, breaking the silence flooding the apartment. He stopped closing the door and looked up at her.

"You…you can stay here…if you want to…" Her voice trailed off. His puzzled look told her all she needed to know. Looking down to hide the tears, she whispered, "Forget it." And abruptly closed the door behind him.

That night, snuggled safely in his tidy white sheets that smelled so much like him, Elaine wished for his body to be next to hers. But she knew that would never happen. And she wasn't going to try. No more silent signals to him, no more pondering the future. No more. She was going to stop trying. Because he didn't care.

If only she knew how wrong she was.


	4. Chapter Three

THREE

He couldn't look away from her sleeping form. Through the crack of the door he could see her clearly, her deep brown hair scattered and her arms wrapped tightly around the pillow. Somehow the sight of her just took his breath away.

Jerry was just going to get a shirt when he remembered who was in his bedroom. For the past ten minutes he had stood behind the cracked open door, staring at her, not able to look away. He didn't know where this sudden surge of emotion had come from, but it had happened quickly. All of a sudden, the woman who he had sworn to being "just friends" with was pulling him back, without even really doing anything. Sighing, he pushed the door closed and headed back over to his spot on the sofa. The blanket around him didn't keep the cold from coming, and he imagined what it would be like back in his room, with her, snuggled closely together, fighting off the frigid New York winter with each other. He had done that before with her…all those years ago. But then, it seemed, he didn't really even care.

All these years later, he realized what he was missing, what a wonderful woman she really was. Her beauty simply amazed him, to the point where lately he just couldn't look away. When he rolled over onto his side, attempting to find some comfort on the hard couch, he couldn't help but wonder why all of a sudden these feelings were emerging. Closing his eyes tightly, he willed the thoughts to go away.

……………………………

The next morning, by 10:30, she still wasn't awake. Jerry didn't have the heart to wake her, though he knew she had work, because he had been noticing lately how worn out she seemed. Over what, he had no clue. As he busied himself around the apartment, though quietly as to not wake her, he wondered if they could do something special together. They hadn't done anything for such a long time, just the two of them, without George and Kramer tagging along. He promised silently to himself that he would find something to do for her.

By 11:30, Jerry willed himself to open the door to his bedroom. He figured that if she slept in too long she would get upset with him for not waking her. Work was already out of the question for today, apparently, but he didn't know the number to call in for her. As he stepped into the room, his breath was taken away, just as it had been last night.

She lay sprawled across the bed, the covers only reaching her waist, wearing his shirt that he had given her the night before. Her eyes were peacefully closed, still slightly dark from the make up she wore last night, and her cheeks seemed to naturally glow on their own. The sight of her on his bed made his head spin. He'd never felt this before, this sudden rush of emotion. No woman had ever made him feel like this. And to think the woman he'd known for so long, all of a sudden, could do this to him.

He tried to gain the strength to wake her, walking silently over to the bed. Kneeling down on the carpet, he brushed away some of the stray hair from her face.

"Elaine," he whispered. He cupped her shoulder gently and repeated her name again. She still didn't wake.

"Elaine…Come on, you've got to get up…"

He was amazed she hadn't already been awoken by Kramer's usual slamming of the door and stomping through his apartment. But, strangely enough, he was oddly not present. Shaking her shoulder gently, he repeated her name, this time louder, and was rewarded with a slight groan.

He heard her voice before she opened her eyes. "How early is it, Luke?" She moaned. _Luke? Her old boyfriend,_ Jerry thought to himself._ It's been months since they've been together…_

"It's Jerry, Elaine…And it's 11:30. Come on, get up, get up…"He sang.

_Jerry?_ She thought. _Why is Jerry waking me up? Not that I mind, but…_She opened her eyes slightly and everything came back to her as she slipped out of her dreamy state.

"Oh…Jerry," she whispered almost breathlessly. She didn't realize how close he was to her face. Actually, she wasn't sure she was too happy about how close he was, remembering her silent pact to herself the night before. "God, how late did you say it was?"

"11:30. I didn't have the heart to wake you up…"

"This coming from a man who usually would drown me in water to wake me?" She laughed. The sight of her smile made him smile, too. His sudden change in personality was not only a total mystery to her, but also to him. The sudden need to…_please_ this woman was nagging at him from the insides.

"Yeah…well, you've looked worn out lately…so I thought I'd let you rest," he said. She looked so good, _too_ good in his shirt. She was even more beautiful than he remembered when she first woke up in the morning.

Elaine smiled and shook her head. "What has gotten into you lately, Seinfeld? I mean, you're being so…kind. That's awkward for you."

"Ha, ha," he laughed mockingly. "You don't think I'm capable of being nice? Well then why do you think I've had all these girlfriends?"

"Exactly…why _have _you had all these girlfriends? If you were so nice, wouldn't you just have, say…_one._" Before he could answer she tore off the covers and ran around him out of the bedroom, laughing at the same time.

"Elaine Marie Benes!" Jerry yelled after her retreating form. "Get back here!" Shaking his head and chuckling to himself, he headed out of his bedroom to find her casually pouring herself some cereal.

"Help yourself," he commented, jokingly sarcastic.

"What?" She asked with a full mouth. "You never yell at Kramer or George for poking through your things."

"I know…I'm just kidding…Have all you want. Just none of my Coco Cornflakes!"

"Uck…Coco _Cornflakes_? I don't know how you eat that stuff…Oh, wait…you have a fascination with cereal…I forgot." She grinned up at him.

_And you, lately…_He thought to himself. God, she was too cute standing there in his kitchen with his shirt on eating his cereal. Too damn cute. He tried to get the thoughts out of his head. His efforts didn't work.

"What else can I get you?"

Elaine slammed down the cereal box and looked at him squarely.

"What?" Jerry questioned, looking from the slammed cereal box to her face.

"Okay, Seinfeld…I wanna know something and I wanna know right now." She paced across the floor and over to him, finally standing directly under him and looking up into his face. "What has gotten into you? It started at the coffee shop when you gave me the rest of your coffee…something that you _never_ do. Then you feel guilty because of the show we missed, when it wasn't even your fault, and you want to make it up to me. And then, to top everything off, you offer me your bed and, this one really got me, your cereal, and then ask if I want anything else!"

He stood frozen looking at her, half surprised and half amused by her little outburst (Not that he wasn't used to them) and struggled for something, anything, to say to her.

"I don't know…" _Good answer Jerry…God, you're a mess._ "I mean, you _are_ my friend…shouldn't we act like it?" _Mmm…not a great answer there, Jer. You're losing your touch._

"Then why, in the past, what, eight years, have you not acted so 'friendly' to me?" Elaine regretted even bringing this up. She actually loved this part of him. It was a side she didn't see very often, not that she herself was the sweetest person in New York, but she wanted to see more of him like this. She wanted to know _why_ he was acting so strangely, so differently, as if she was cursed with some terminal illness.

"Look, I just wanted to be a good friend! You looked tired last night! I didn't want you going home alone like that!" Jerry was searching for some answer, any answer. But the truth was that he really didn't know the answer for himself. Why was he acting so differently? Well, probably because he had a new fascination, obsession even, with the woman standing in front of him. But he couldn't tell her that!

"Okay…Sorry…You're right. And…thank you, for letting me stay and all," she nearly whispered. It was best, she thought, to simply let this go. If he wanted to be a gentleman, then so be it. "I just wish…" Her voice trailed off as she thought about what she was going to say.

"Wish what?" Jerry asked.

"I just wish that you could have been-"

"Well, good morning, Jerry - Oh, Elaine, hi…" Kramer exclaimed, slamming the door behind him as he rushed into the apartment.

_Right there next to me…_


	5. Chapter Four

FOUR

He had done it. Jerry had figured out the perfect place to take Elaine. Driving down the street to her apartment, he couldn't believe how genius the whole thing was. She was going to love this!

He parked the car a surprising block away from her building and glided across the sidewalk to the door. He hoped she was home. He couldn't possibly tell her this over the phone. Once again, his genius even amazed him.

Jerry buzzed up, willing the speaker to crackle to life. Thankfully, it did.

"Yes?" Elaine's voice said, sounding tinny from the old hardware.

"It's me," Jerry said.

"Oh…Jer…hi. Come on up…" It was strange to her to be buzzing him up to her apartment instead of him buzzing her up to his own, but she did anyway and cracked the door open to wait for him. Within seconds he was there.

"Lainey, my dear girl, I do believe you are going to love me in a few seconds…"

Elaine turned to him from the counter and gave him a questioning look. If only he knew how much she already did love him…

"What did you do?" She asked, walking over to him and crossing her arms.

"Oh, Elaine…I don't know if you can take this. You might want to sit down, dear."

She smiled and sat on the couch. "Come on, Jerry…tell me!"

"Well…" He was trying to draw this out as long as possible. "I think you'll be thanking me profusely for this one…"

"Jerry!" She yelled, getting up and laughing. "Tell me already!"

"Ms. Benes," he paused, eliciting a groan from her. "You and I are going for an all-expense paid weekend trip to Chicago to see the hit Broadway show Cats."

She stood frozen in front of him, her mouth and eyes opened wide in an attempt to understand what he had just said.

"Get. Out!" She screamed, shoving him back with both hands in a full-strength push. Jerry laughed as she almost tackled him again in a hug.

"How did you do it?" Elaine asked, dropping herself from his embrace. She knew those tickets were impossible to get.

"Well…that show last month was the last the cast was doing in New York. They are now performing in Chicago, and when I found that out, I got tickets way in advance before anyone else could nab them before me."

"You're a genius, Jerry Seinfeld, an absolute genius," Elaine said, ecstatic. Jerry recalled saying something very similar to himself on the drive over.

"Well, I do try," he smiled. When she hugged him again, this time gently, he couldn't help but hold her tighter. When the length of their embrace became awkward, he forced himself to let go of her.

Looking back up at him, Elaine said, "When do we leave? And who else is coming?"

"Well, it's just you and me, first of all…these tickets were hard to find," and he wanted her to himself for once without a nagging George and distracting Kramer. "And what day is it?"

"Um, Thursday," Elaine answered, looking at the calendar on her refrigerator.

"Then, tomorrow."

"We leave tomorrow!" Elaine exclaimed happily. "You don't waste time, do you?"

"Nope…only the best," he answered. "I take it that I did good?"

"Very good."

"Great."

……………………….

"I still cannot believe that you got these tickets," Elaine said as she leaned back in the seat of the plane. "I mean, I can't thank you enough, Jerry…This was so sweet."

Jerry turned to look at her, smiling at her angelic features shining back at him. It felt good to have done something right, for her especially. It took all the strength he had to not kiss her right then and there. Her hair was falling down her shoulders in straight strands, so much different than the usual frizz she had had for the past years. She usually pulled it up in some sort of bun, but today she let it loose, and he loved that.

"How did you keep Kramer away, too? I was expecting a trip for the four of us when you told me you got tickets." She glanced out the window at the blue sky and clouds wafting by. "This is nice," she added. "Just the two of us…" _Just like it used to be when we were a couple. Well, without the fighting…_

"Yeah," Jerry answered. "We're only on the plane and already you're enjoying it. That's good." He smiled.

Elaine sighed as he winked at her. No matter what she had promised herself, she couldn't stop thinking about him. It was even worse now. It seemed that every day more and more of him was engrained in her mind.

"Passengers, please fasten your seatbelts. We are about to land in Chicago," a voice said from a piped in intercom.

……………………………

As Elaine rolled her suitcase into the hotel's lobby, she smiled in admiration at the classy place Jerry had chosen to stay at.

"Welcome to The Drake, sir," said the concierge. "Will you and your wife need a dolly?"

Jerry shook his head politely, "No thank you…I think we'll manage." He didn't correct the man's usage of the word wife.

Elaine noticed it, too. As Jerry checked in and led her to the elevators, she wondered what he was even thinking by not correcting the man. Usually he would've, unless of course there was some bonus for him if she pretended to be his wife. She really didn't mind pretending, either. In fact, she'd be fine with simply being the pretend girlfriend.

"Jerry…you have really outdone yourself."

"Wait 'till you see where we're staying," he stated, smiling over at her, green-blue eyes especially bright.

He hit the button for the floor they were staying on and escorted her to the far end of a hall.

"Jerry…Don't tell me we're staying in a suite," Elaine stated, awe in her voice. Though she had a good job and a pretty good income, she rarely spent time in fancy hotel rooms…especially not suites.

"Why, Ms. Benes, do you not want to?" He asked jokingly.

"We are! Jerry…" Her voice trailed off as she looked at him with wide eyes and shook her head. What was this all about?

"We are in fact staying in the Gold Coast Suite…" He led her to the far door, slid the key card into the slot, and grandly opened to door.

"Wow…" Elaine said, walking into the suite. The view from the many windows was great and the furniture and floors were spotlessly clean. Newspapers were fanned out across the living room's coffee table. Turning around, her mouth was still wide open.

"Do you like it?" He asked, already knowing the answer from the ecstatic look etched on her face.

"Do I like it?" Elaine said, walking towards him. When she threw her arms around him, she whispered, "This has got to be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"I'm glad you like it," he answered, voice low. Then, for the first time in a long time, he pulled her to him fully and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist.

The sudden squeeze Jerry had given her caused Elaine to jump slightly. But it seemed…right. She fit perfectly into his body, and when she eased against him, he thought he might not be able to let go. The smell of her, a mix of lilac and vanilla, was driving him mad.

When Elaine finally let her arms slide away, she smiled up at him almost knowingly. Coughing, Jerry placed his hand on the small of her back and said, "How about we see the rest?"

"Alright…"

They both walked through the thresh hold and into the bedroom, where Jerry felt a slight pang in his stomach. Elaine noticed the troubled look on his face and asked what was wrong.

"Uh…hold on…" He opened several doors in the room, which opened to be closets and a very nice bathroom that George would surely love. _Shoot…_

"What's wrong, Jer?" She repeated.

"Well, when I called for reservations they said that this suite had two bedrooms…or at least two beds…I think there's only…one."

Elaine's heart did a little flop in her chest. She knew this meant nothing, really, but just the thought of sharing a bed with Jerry made her head spin. Was this what true love felt like?

"Oh," she murmured with a small voice. "Well…uh…I can sleep on the couch…"

"There is no way I'm letting you sleep on the couch. This is your trip. I'll stay on the couch."

"Well I'm not going to let you stay on the couch either! You paid for all this, you did all this for me…you don't deserve a hard couch!"

They stood for several moments staring at each other, the implications finally coming together.

"Well, I guess we could…share…the bed…" He said, head spinning just as much as hers.

"I can sleep on one side, you on the other…it's a big bed…" She muttered, full well knowing that what she really wanted was to use as little space on that bed as possible and curl up with him.

"Yeah…no problem," Jerry answered. _Yeah, no problem…_

…………………………..

Their show was that night, and throughout it all Jerry could really think about was their situation with the room. Inside he was half cursing and half thanking the hotel staff for being wrong when they told him the suite had two beds.

Elaine clearly enjoyed the show, and as they both strolled down a Chicago street together after it, he was glad that she was happy. His next problem would be dealing with Kramer once he got home…the man would want a full explanation of why he wasn't invited along for the ride.

Walking side by side, Elaine stopped abruptly to stare out at the waterways in front of them. This city was so different from New York, and yet she felt oddly at home.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Jerry said, staring out through the buildings. A train car flew by in front of them, blowing back Elaine's dark hair. She tucked her coat tighter around her and smiled, nodding.

_You don't even know beautiful you look right now…_

That's what he wanted to say, but what he ended up stating was, "Interesting architecture."

Once again, she nodded, oddly quiet. With that, they turned and began heading back to the hotel.


	6. Chapter Five

FIVE

Back in their warm suite at The Drake, Jerry and Elaine spent the rest of the night watching old movies on one of Chicago's local channels. When Elaine finally left to take a shower and freshen up, Jerry was left sitting on the extravagant couch in the extravagant suite that he would probably have to do several extra gigs to pay for. Not that he minded. This time alone with Elaine was fun, relaxing. The only regret he had was that he hadn't yet made any sort of move. But he didn't really even know if he should. What gave him the right? He spent so long attempting to remain friends with the woman. Why would he ruin that in one night? But still, the thought that he would, in fact, be sleeping next to her, though probably quite some distance apart, excited him to no extent.

Elaine spent a half an hour in the shower, making sure that she looked and smelled as good as she possibly could. The same thoughts were swimming through her head. Would she be able to control herself? What if, in the night, she accidentally rolled over onto Jerry and didn't even realize it. Waking up lying on top of him might prove to be a bit embarrassing…But at the same time, she couldn't help but to wonder what it would be like…

When she emerged from the marble bathroom in only a towel, she immediately regretted it. Jerry turned, almost slowly, to lay eyes on her. His heart nearly stopped.

After composing herself and unfreezing from her spot in the bedroom, she hurried over to her suitcase and pulled out whatever nightgown or robe she could find first. Quietly clutching the items to her chest, she just as quickly hurried back into the bathroom and shut the door.

Jerry was left sitting on the couch with wide eyes. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her with a towel before. Hell, he had seen her naked before…But somehow the way she walked and looked now made his head spin.

"Your turn," she said a few minutes later as she once again emerged from the bathroom, this time in a baby blue silk robe and matching nightgown tucked away underneath. It wasn't overly revealing at all, but Jerry still gave her a once over when she leaned down to put her brush back.

"My turn for what?" He asked, cocking his head slightly.

"A shower…or do you take them in the morning? I always thought you took them at night…at least you used to…" Her voice trailed off as she thought about the territory she was beginning to cover with her words.

"Oh, yeah…" He managed, still slightly transfixed by the sight of her in a nightgown. "I'll go now…" He quickly hurried away before he could make any more of a fool of himself.

He took one last peek at her as he inched the door shut and threw his shirt on the ground.

…………………………

As Elaine climbed into bed that night, it took all the willpower she possessed to not jump on Jerry. She propped her pillows up on the far right side of the bed and plopped herself down into the velvety covers. She felt as if she was being swallowed by the gargantuan mattress. It was actually a comforting feeling. She felt especially safe with Jerry climbing into the bed next to her. Why was it she didn't feel this way with other men?

Jerry awkwardly positioned himself across from her, attempting as hard as he could to not touch her in any way. Not that he didn't want to touch her. No, he dreamed of it. He then turned his head strangely and stared into her eyes, trying to find something to say…'_Sorry about this?' No…'Have a good sleep?' No…_

"Well…" He murmured. "Goodnight." He had the urge to kiss her on the cheek, but he quickly decided against it and laid down on the far left side of the mattress, turning his back to her.

"Goodnight…" She whispered.

…………………………

She inhaled deeply as his lips somehow found that perfect spot on her neck. Placing her hands firmly on the back of his head, she fought the urge to moan. Her hands slid down to his shoulders, massaging. She squirmed as she lifted her leg over his.

When he turned up to look into her brown eyes, she took the chance to kiss him deeply on the lips. He moaned as her hands found the top button of his shirt and lifted his body up some to help her find easier access.

Her head spun as his strong arms grabbed her around the waist, pulling her flat against him and halting her progress with his shirt. The small whimper of protest from her was muffled as his lips covered her own so quickly that she didn't have a chance to breathe. When he reached down to begin unbuttoning her own shirt, she squeezed her eyes shut and saw only whiteness.

…………………………

Elaine woke with a start, seemingly in a pool of her own hot sweat. She didn't know where she was, the dark room foreign to her. Rolling her body over, she then remembered. There he lay, back still to her, completely oblivious to the dream she had just encountered. Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest still, and she swore that she could still feel his arms around her, pulling her close in safety. She didn't think she had ever dreamed so vividly.

Just as suddenly as she had woken, her eyes rolled back in sleep.

…………………………

Jerry rolled over slightly is his sleep, trying to change positions to relieve his cramped up leg. What he found when he tried to move, however, was a body blocking his way. In his sleep, he wrapped his arm around the unknown person and pulled her to him, causing her head to gently rest on his chest.

Elaine's eyes fluttered open at the feel of movement. At first she remembered Luke, her last boyfriend, but then recalled just who she was lying against. With a single hard pound to her chest, her heart fluttered. Slightly petrified, she wondered exactly how she had ended up in this position. Trying as best she could to silently and slowly move away from him, she felt her heart beat more rapidly. She thought the sound alone would wake him. In his sleep, Jerry's arm grabbed her own and Elaine jumped at the sudden movement. And then, his eyes flickered open.

In the dark, he had to focus to see the woman lying against him. His arm was still clutching her own, and his eyes focused back and forth between her face, her arm, and her body leaning against his. Tingling sensations shot up and down his body as he felt her weight begin to set in. The thin nightgown she was wearing was doing little to block the touching skin.

"Jerry…" Elaine whispered. How would she explain this? She didn't even know how she had ended up like this…

"Shh…" He replied, covering her mouth with his index finger. She lay perfectly still, staring into his eyes, searching for some answer.

"Jer…"

"Shh…" He repeated, trying to savor as much of this moment as he possibly could.

When his head began leaning forward, she became so dizzy that the room around her seemed to spin to life. And yet, he remained perfectly in focus.

When he became so close that she could feel his breath on her face, Elaine thought she might as well die right then and there. Finally, so slowly, his lips covered her own. She whimpered as he so lightly touched her lips.

"Jerry…" She murmured, voice catching somewhere in the back of her throat. All coherent thoughts had left her.

He lifted his head, lips leaving hers. His eyes looked questioningly into her own, searching for the silent okay that he had been waiting for. What he saw was pure passion.

And so with that, he gently flipped her body under his, pushed her hair back from her flawless face, and leaned into her. His lips grazed hers once again. But this time, not in question. His second kiss was passionate, not as gentle as the first, and he felt the weight of the world lifting off his shoulders as her arms tantalizingly slid around his neck. That was all he needed before he fervently pressed his lips forcefully against hers.

THE END


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